Just five races remain to determine the 1997 Winston Cup Champion. This week it’s UAW-GM Quality 500 from the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett are both hoping to gain ground on points leader Jeff Gordon. The Fall race at Charlotte has not been kind to Gordon in the past. Last season a 31st place finish in this event coupled with a win by teammate Terry Labonte resulted in a big points lead for Gordon being shrunk to a single point. Gordon never regained the momentum he lost and Labonte captured the 1996 Winston Cup Championship. Gordon comes into the ’97 race with similar points cushion over Mark Martin. Martin has to be among the favorites as he captured victory at this event in 1995. DJ has been strong on the intermediate tracks this season and has two career wins at Charlotte. Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt have been running well of late and both are looking to break long Cup losing streaks. It’s been a struggle for Terry Labonte in the 2nd half of the season and he is still looking for his 1st Cup win of ’97. Bobby Labonte is starting 2nd and had a strong car in practice. His first career win came at the 1995 Coca-Cola 600. Can Gordon overcome the Fall Charlotte race hurdle and maintain his comfortable points lead? Will DJ and Martin get a strong finish and gain ground on Gordon? Will a driver not in the championship chase play spoiler? Take a listen and found out who comes out on top at Charlotte.
